Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi, Toy Choi Hybrid

Short Description

Dwarf Chinese cabbage is quick to grow and prepare.

Full Description

Super quick to harvest and easy to prepare, these tiny bunches of crisp white stalks with tender green leaves are only 4-5" tall. Perfect for a single serving side dish-quickly sauteed or roasted. Also great for "stir-fry for two".

Days To Maturity
The average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest.

30 days

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

Full Sun

Spread
The width of the plant at maturity.

12 inches

Height
The typical height of this product at maturity.

18-20 inches

Sow Method
This refers to whether the seed should be sown early indoors and the seedlings transplanted outside later, or if the seed should be sown directly in the garden at the recommended planting time.

Indoor Sow

Planting Time
The recommended time of the year in which this product should be planted.

How to Sow and Plant

Cabbage may be direct sown or started indoors early for fall and spring crops, or purchased as transplants for a fall crop.

Sowing Seed Indoors:

Sow seeds from spring to early summer in the north; in the south and other frost-free areas, sow from fall to spring.

Start seeds indoors about 8 weeks before outdoor planting.

Sow seeds ¼ inches deep in seed-starting formula

Keep the soil moist at 70 degrees F

Seedlings emerge in 10-21 days

As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3-4 inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours at night. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Most plants require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for 24 hours.

Seedlings do not need much fertilizer, feed when they are 3-4 weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) according to manufacturer’s directions.

If you are growing in small cells, you may need to transplant the seedlings to 3 or 4 inch pots when seedlings have at least 3 pairs of leaves before transplanting to the garden so they have enough room to develop strong roots.

Before planting in the garden, seedling plants need to be “hardened off”. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Be sure to protect them from wind and hot sun at first. If frost threatens at night, cover or bring containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. This hardening off process toughens the plant’s cell structure and reduces transplant shock and scalding.

Sowing Directly in the Garden:

Sow seeds from spring to early summer in the north; in the south and other frost-free areas, sow from fall to spring.

Sow in average soil in a sunny location in early spring or in midsummer for a fall crop.

Carefully remove the plant from its pot and gently loosen the root ball with your hands to encourage good root development.

Place the top of the root ball even with the level of the surrounding soil. Fill with soil to the top of the root ball. Press soil down firmly with your hand.

Use the plant tag as a location marker.

Thoroughly water and apply a light mulch layer on top of the soil (1-2 inches) to conserve water and reduce weeds.

How to Grow

Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating. Avoid disturbing the soil around the plants when weeding.

Rated 1 out of
5 by
SammyPapas from
Did not GerminateNothing sprouted with these seeds, I did gets some weeds though.

Date published: 2017-07-27

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Scotty K from
Amazing all aroundI did direct sow in April and every single seed I planted sprouted and grew into a nice plant that is still going now into July. I didn't even thin out much, they grew great close together, enabling me to save space but still get a great crop. I have about 30 plants, each with 1 to 2 dozen leaves, and I just take a couple from each and have a nice side dish for 2 people whenever I want. Bugs and animals haven't touched it either. I'll definitely do this again for fall and next year.

Date published: 2017-07-12

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Louisey from
Fast bolterI planted seeds on 3/15. They all germinated beautifully and proceeded to grow a few quarter-sized leaved before they they produced flowers on 6-inch stems by 5/15. The only similarity between my plants and the photo is that they both have green leaves.

Date published: 2017-05-14

Rated 5 out of
5 by
amazindirt from
Good germination, attractive, quick harvest.My plants looked more like the "Joi Choi" Burpee sells than like the "Toy Choi", but that is not a big deal. I planted 2/28 in a large pot and started harvesting 4/08. These guys are attractive and tasty, whether they look exactly like the package or not. I'm sowing a second crop to see how they do (or do not) tolerate the heat that's coming soon!

Date published: 2017-04-12

Rated 5 out of
5 by
steve 69 from
pak choiarrived on time and all the seeds planted strouted

Date published: 2017-03-08

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Osmimtet from
Bolted early during spring planting.I planted in spring in Michigan. It bolted early before forming good heads. This could have been due to the weird spring we had. Will give it another try in the fall.

Date published: 2016-07-23

Rated 5 out of
5 by
maxjohnson from
compact, good tastingThe thing I like about these toy choy over the regular ones is they have smaller leaves and stays short (except when bolting, then the flowers are very tall), so they don't require as much space. Not as strong a producer as the regular choy, but just as good tasting, and more neat looking.
Because of their compact profile, it seems ideal to plant in small containers or tight spaces, like half gallon pot, or in concrete blocks. I also like the fact that since the leaves stay close to the ground, you can plant them 6-8 inches apart and they will cover the soil and keep it moist so you don't have to worry about mulching.
I like it when they bolt too since the bees seem to like them. Mine had some aphids staying under the leaves, but a quick spray of neem oil took care of the problem.

Date published: 2015-02-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
AnneO from
Smashing success!I'm a newbie gardener, and thanks to toy choi I look like I know what I'm doing. In mid-August, I sowed fifty seeds in a pre-mixed fertilized potting soil indoors expecting less than half to germinate. Needless to say, I was shocked when 47 sprouted. A few weeks later, I moved the little plants into a combination of pots and a prepared bed, expecting half to die almost instantly due to a combination of my sloppy transplanting skills and hot weather. Again, I was shocked when only four dwindled into nothing. It's now late October and my garden is overflowing with toy choi. All I did was water and keep a lightweight plastic mesh cover over the plants to keep the deer and critters out. I've been giving tasty toy choi to all my friends for the past two weeks. A couple dozen are still in the ground, still look good, no signs of bolting. I had some issues with flea beetles in a few of the pots, but the toy choi survived and only the largest of the outer leaves were damaged enough to merit being tossed into the compost.
Taste review: delicious in stir fry. Flavor is milder and more delicate with a cleaner mouth feel than store-bought baby bok choi. Also, the leaves are more delicate and cook much faster. To compensate for this, I slice out the white rib and sautee it first; when it's almost ready, then I toss in the leaves until wilted (1-2 mins max). Yummy! A wonderful first foray into vegetable gardening.